I grew up around a weight room. My dad was a football coach and some of my earliest memories are hanging out the "Block House", where the football locker room and weight room were. I would see the high school guys struggle and grunt when lifts got tough. When I got a little older, 11 or 12, my dad would take me to a local fitness facility and we would lift weights together. At that point, I hadn't yet hit puberty, but I learned how to use the machines, dumbbells, and barbells and more importantly the idea that it was important was engrained in my mind. I also liked it.
Frequently, I get asked why it is important to lift weights. I understand that a lot of people don't have the background that I do. So, for many people they don't get nostalgic when they see a barbell. In many cases they are intimidated or scared of getting hurt. While this certainly happens, it is not the norm. In fact, there are several studies that indicate the highest injury rates come from other activities, like running. The point is, all forms of exercise entail some risk. However, in my opinion, the risk from not exercising and moving your body on a regular basis far outweigh these risks.
Weightlifting has many forms. This can be as simple as picking up something from around the house and walking with it or as complex as Olympic weightlifting, which can take years to master. Let's look at some of the benefits of lifting weights.
More muscle
Increased muscle mass has a wide range of benefits. Muscle, unlike body fat, is a metabolically active. In other words, it burns calories even while at rest and improves our metabolism. More muscle also leads to an improved appearance and who doesn't want to look better.
Increased Bone Density
As we age and our hormones change, our bones lose their strength and density. While especially true for women, men experience this as well. Even if our nutrition is on point, we must provide stimulus for our bodies to uptake these nutrients. Weightlifting is that stimulus. When done regularly, it sends signals to our brain to make our bones stronger in order to accommodate the loads we are placing on our skeletal system.
Strength
If we have more muscle we are likewise stronger. Being stronger makes everything in our daily lives easier, from walking up stairs to playing with our kids or helping older family members. Everything is just easier when we are strong. Weight lifting also improves balance and flexibility, especially important as we age.
Insurance
This isn't home owners or auto. It's life insurance. Strength training can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions. If you have more muscle, you are also more resilient against many things that we encounter in everyday life. People with more muscle mass are better able to fight off sickness and are less likely to get injured performing day to day tasks and are more likely to survive and recover from a traumatic event like a car wreck.
Improved Mental Health
Strength training can help with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Looking at this practically, challenging ourselves on purpose in the gym prepares us for the adversity of everyday life. It makes us mentally tougher and more resilient. There is some research that indicates that lifting also improves thinking and learning skills, especially in older adults.
As you can see, the list of reasons to lift weights is very convincing. While injuries do sometimes occur, you can minimize these risks. You should always consider volume and intensity. Volume is the total number of repetitions you are doing in a given workout. Intensity is going to be the amount of weight you lift. The appropriate proportions of these two vary based on your training experience, age, nutrition, and sleep. Be sure to take these into consideration.
Another factor that can help tremendously is the assistance of an experienced coach.
A good coach will show you proper movement mechanics and can help assist you in determining what is the correct amount of volume and intensity.
Just start. Even if you have no experience or access to coaching, most towns have a gym with machines. These are usually a relatively safe and low cost way to get started. Also, the internet. There are millions of videos on proper technique and programs you can follow. Start with one pound dumbbells and pick three movements and do them three days a week. Add a pound every couple weeks. If you did that, in a year, you would be lifting 25 more pounds than when you started.
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